Free standing die spotting rack



'July 31, 1962 'J. c. LASKO FREE STANDING DIE SPOTTING RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1959 INVENTOR.

JOHN C. LASKO ATTORNEY July 31, 1962 J. c. LASKO 3,046,659

FREE STANDING DIE SPOTTING RACK Filed Nov. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

IN V EN TOR. JOHN C. LASKO ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,046,669 FREE STANDING Dill) SPOTTING RAGK John C. Lasho, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Republic Die & Tool Company, Wayne, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 16, 1959, Ser. No..853,29,0 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-174) This invention relates to a free standing die spotting rack and more particularly to such a device embodying a parallel-holding system and side guide plates in combination whereby the significant rack elements are easily maintained in square and parallel relationship to each other.

The invention involves a die spotting rack arranged with a floor bed, vertical columns at the corners of the bed, a pair of spaced apart vertical guide plates mounted between the columns at the two sides of the bed, a vertically movable frame to support a master plaster die element slidably mounted on the side guide plates, hoist means to raise and lower the frame, a counterbalance system connected to the frame, and a cable parallel system to maintain the frame in parallel relationship to the floor bed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple eflicient structure for spotting dies, in which plaster or other types of master checking devices ,are used. Another object is to provide a parallel system to hold a die master supporting frame in positive parallel relationship as it is raised from or lowered to a rough die positioned on the floor bed of the structure. A further object is to associate a counterbalance system with the frame to assist in maintaining balance and control in the elevation or lowering of the frame. Yet another objectis to provide such a structure which is relatively uncomplicated, simple to use and construct, and which is relatively inexpensive in its construction and maintenance.

These and additional objects of the invention and features of construction will become more apparent from the description given below in which the terms employed are for purposes of description and not of limitation. Reference is here made to the drawings annexed hereto and forming an integral part of this specification, and in which-- FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the rack of this invention, showing the top hood and the floor bed in vertical section.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical front elevational view of the frame structure at a side guide plate.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the rack of FIG. 1, with the top hood broken away to more clearly show the side guide plate and frame arrangement.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the die spotting rack comprises a floor bed 12, a movable elevatable frame 14, hoist means 16 to lift and lower the frame 14, a rack structure 18 associating the frame 14 and bed 12, a counterbalance system 20 for the frame, a parallel system 22 for the frame, and a hood 24 partially enclosing the device from above.

The bed 12 is made with a rectangular floor plate 26 secured to and mounted upon transversely arranged channels 28. The rack structure 18 is secured upon and to the floor plate 26, comprising vertical columns 30 at each corner of the plate 26, the columns being connected in fixed positions at their upper ends by transverse beams 32 and longitudinal beams 34. Midway between the side columns 30, at each side of the floor plate 26, is a vertical column 36 in the form of an Lbeam having its web exother. Secured to the outer face of each of the inner flanges 38 is a guide plate or pilaster 40. The guide plates 44) face each other across the floor bed 12 in parallel aligned relationship. Atop the mid-columns 36 and connecting them is a horizontal beam 42, upon which adjacent each end thereof are a pair of rotatable pulleys 44 supported on a shaft 46 passed through the web of beam 42. V

The movable elevatable frame 14 comprises a pair of spaced apart outwardly opening channels 48 secured at their ends to vertically disposed end plates 50 which are held square with the channels 48 by stiffening angle braces or struts 52 connecting them together. Secured on the outer faces 54 of the end plates 50 are pairsof edge guide rollers 56, having their axes parallel to the channels 48, at the upper and lower ends of the end plates, and pairs of face guide rollers 58, adjacent and inwardly of the rollers 56, having their axes transverse of the channels 48 and rotatable on roller pins secured in angle brackets 60 mounted on the, outer faces 54 of the end plates 59. The edge guide rollers 56 ride on the side edges 62 of the guide plates 40, and the face guide rollers 58 ride on the exposed faces of the guide plates 40.

A pair of counterbalance cables 64 are secured by' bolts 66 to the top edge of each of the end plates 50 and pass through beam flange notches 68, over pulleys 44, and down through beam flange notches 70 to counterweights 72 secured to the other ends of the cables, to provide the counterbalance system 20 for the frame 14. Counterweights 72 are adjustedv to suit the load of the die element 74, shown in broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The masterdie element 74 is secured to a generally rectangular support member 76 mounted on the channels 48 therebelow.

To maintain the frame structure 14 in parallel with the floor bed 12 at all times during vertical travel of the frame, a parallel system 22 is employed and comprises a pair of cables 78 secured to the rack structure adjacent the floor bed 12 and at the lower ends of the mid-columns 30. Each cable 78 is extended upwardly to .a rotatable pulley 30, supported on a shaft 82 disposed horilontally b ee ame chann s 8 adja t ea end thereof, passed over pulley 80 toward the opposite end Of t e cha e 48 and unde pu y 3.4. r a ab e on Shaft 82 and at the side of pulley 80, and then upwardly to the lower flange 86 of beam 42 Where the ends of the cables '78 are secured to eyebolts 88 mounted on the beam flange. Once frame support member 76 has been adjusted in parallel with the floor plate 26, the parallel system cables :78 maintain .the frame structure 14 in parallel with the floor bed 12.

To raise and lower the frame structure 14 upon the guide plates 40, an air hoist 16 is employed having a cable hook 90 removably engaged with a U-bolt 92 mounted astride the parallel frame channels 48 midway of their length. The hoist is supported from a U-bolt 94 secured to the beam flange 86, and is served by a supply of air conducted to the hoist through a conduit 96 communicating with the control 98 of the hoist.

Although a die unit 100, shown in broken lines, may be placed directly upon the floor plate 26, it is often more practical and easier for spotting and checking purposes to position some piers 102 on the floor plate and rest the die unit 100 thereon, bringing the plane of the die unit to a height where the operators can work with it more easily.

In operation, the die unit 100 is positioned on the piers 102 and the master die element 74 is securely mounted to the frame support member 76 in alignment with the die unit 100 therebelow The frame structure 14'is then ele- Patented July 31, 1962' tion of weight elements.

unit 100 therebelow. As the element 74 comes into con tact with the die unit 100 bluing will spot high spots of the die unit. Upon elevating the frame 14, these high spots are easily observable by the operators and die workers. As the high spots are worked 01f, more and more bluing will appear on the die unit until finally it is substantially completely coated.

If it should be desired to hold the frame 14 in a particular position for a period of time and to relieve'the air hoist 16 from the load, rest pads 104 are secured to the inner flanges 38 of the mid-columns 30 adjacent the floor bed 12. Blocks of metal 106, such as pieces of I-beam or bars, may then be placed upon the rest pads to a height where the bottom edge of the frame end plates 50 will come to rest upon them, removing the load of the frame 14 from the hoist 16 and placing it upon the rest pads 104.

Various types of elevating or hoist means 16 of course can be employed, but it is believed that a manually controlled air hoist as disclosed provides a simple and inexpensive means of lowering the frame 14 by small increments for die spotting purposes, particularly when the load is counterbalanced by the system 20 and is held in parallel by cables 78.

Having described the invention in its simplest terms, it is to be understood by persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that the features of construction may be changed and varied in greater or lesser degree without departing from the essence of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an improved free standing device for spotting die units,

a floor bed to support a die unit to be spotted,

a framing structure for said device mounted upon said floor bed and comprising spaced vertical corner columns at the corners of said floor bed,

horizontal beams conjoining said spaced vertical corner columns at their upper ends into a rigid frame,

a pair of spaced vertical columns supported on said floor bed and located medially at two opposite sides thereof and extending above said framing structure, and each haw'ng an inwardly facing, opposed, vertically aligned guide plate mounted inwardly thereon,

an elevatable frame movably engaged on said guide plates, extending and disposed between said spaced vertical medial columns and within the peripheral limits of said framing structure, and adapted to support a die spotting element,

The frame 14 is then slowly lowered to spot the master die element 74 upon the die a beam member fixedly secured to and connecting the upper ends of said spaced vertical medial columns,

counterbalances movably supported on said beam member and connected to said elevatable frame,

cable means secured to said beam member and to said floor bed and through said elevatable frame to maintain said elevatable frame in true parallel relationship to said floor bed during vertical movement of said elevatable frame on said guide plates,

and means secured to said beam member to elevate and lower said elevatable frame from and toward a die spotting position,

whereby said elevatable frame when said die spotting element is supported thereon is maintained in true parallel and balanced relationship with respect to said floor bed upon said guide plates during vertical movement toward and into a position where said die spotting element makes true aligned die spotting contact with said floor bed supported die unit.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and in which said medially positioned spaced vertical columns are conjoined to and extend above a pair of opposed spaced apart framing structure horizontal beams.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, and in which said elevatable frame comprises a pair of spaced apart parallel adjacent horizontal beams conjoined at their ends to vertical members having means movably engaging said guide plates,

said cable means passing through said elevatable frame between said pair of spaced parallel adjacent horizontal beams.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, and in which said means on said vertical members movably engaging said guide plates comprises rollers bearing upon the inwardly facing surface and the adjacent side edges of said guide plates,

said side edges lying in parallel planes normal to said inwardly facing surface,

said rollers being disposed in two groups, one of said groups being disposed substantially above and the second of said groups being disposed substantially below the plane of said pair of spaced parallel adjacent horizontal beams,

whereby said elevatable frame is rack-free in its vertical travel with said die spotting element moving toward and into die spotting contact with said floor bed supported die unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 670,466 Bolander Mar. 26, 1901 1,469,395 Richard Oct. 2, 1923 1,714,945 Buhl May 28, 1929 2,206,812 Fitzgerald July 2, 1940 2,452,084 Tomlin Oct. 26, 1948 2,891,636 Krieger June 23, 1959 

